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​Society of Behavioural Health off to a strong start

Published on: 04-Oct-2018

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The Society of Behavioural Health, Singapore, which was established earlier this year, held its first scientific meeting and symposium at LKCMedicine's Toh Kian Chui Annex Lecture Theatre on 29 September. The event was attended by some 140 researchers, students, educators, healthcare practitioners and administrators, keen to learn more about the latest work in this field.

The symposium had a stellar line-up of speakers who hailed from diverse backgrounds, and included institutional partners of the Society, international experts in behavioural health as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations. Through sharing the latest best practices and research, the Society's Pro-tem committee, which includes Pro-tem Vice President LKCMedicine Associate Professor Konstadina Griva, hoped to promote the application of behavioural science in multidisciplinary population healthcare among attendees and provide insights into behavioural research and practice in patient and community care in Singapore.

The scientific meeting was opened by three distinguished speakers, including LKCMedicine Vice-Dean for Clinical Affairs Professor Pang Weng Sun, National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health Dean Professor Teo Yik Ying and National Centre for Infectious Diseases Executive Director Professor Leo Yee Sin. In his speech, Prof Pang recognised the important role psychosocial behaviours and preventive medicine play in clinical medicine. After the welcome addresses, the stage was handed to a range of local and international speakers from diverse backgrounds, who discussed issues ranging from diabetes prevention and nudging people to better health to adolescent mental health and cancer survivorship.

The afternoon's proceedings were split into four thematically organised symposia that discussed infectious diseases, cardiometabolic disease and digital technology in healthcare, ageing and community health, and mapping behavioural risks and scoping community service. Speakers from LKCMedicine included A/Prof Griva, who shared her research on whether home-based dialysis is a viable option for older people and the challenges and barriers that will need to be addressed to help them adopt home-based care successfully during the ageing and community health symposium held in the Lecture Theatre.

Taking to the floor in the HQ Seminar Room during the cardiometabolic disease and digital technology in healthcare symposium, LKCMedicine Associate Professor of Health Services Outcomes Research Josip Car challenged the audience's assumptions about the quality of diabetes apps currently available, pointing out that healthcare lags behind sectors such as cars, telecommunications, retail and media in the adoption of new and accurate digital tools.

A panel discussion and some final remarks by the Society's pro-tem President and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health Associate Professor Wong Mee Lian brought a day of insightful talks and lively Q&As to a close.

The Society would like to offer their utmost gratitude for supporting organisations and institutions including LKCMedicine, Health Promotion Board, National Centre for Infectious Disease, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Oriental Royalty.